by Sarah Hill
Rylie filled Maysen in on how Spencer hadn’t even liked her at first, but that her charms finally grabbed a hold of him and there was no turning back after that. She told him how he had proposed to her from the top of the Empire State Building, which garnered a sarcastic ‘Of course he did, retort from Maysen. Ignoring this slight, she continued, telling him about her pride and joy, Alex, her obsession with Harry Potter and her need to pass it on to her son.
Halfway through debating whether the Harry Potter series was the best series ever written, they were interrupted by Norm clearing his throat. “Hey you two. Are you going to talk all night or are you going to come in and see Del?”
Rylie jumped up and ran to Norm wrapping her arms around him. “When did you get back?”
“I’ve been back for some time now. I thought I’d let you two talk until they let me know Del was safely out of surgery. I’ve already been back to see her.”
“What! When did she get out?”
“About an hour ago. She just started to come out of anesthesia. I told her you were both here and she sent me out to fetch you.”
Maysen stood and held his hand out to help Rylie up. Taking his hand, she felt the familiar spark run up her arm and let go. “Uhm, thank you,” she said, refusing to meet his eyes.
“My pleasure.” Maysen smirked as he followed Rylie and Norm down the hallway.
Del was hooked to tubes galore and Rylie could hear an odd noise like mechanical breathing somewhere behind her. Del opened her eyes groggily and smiled. “There my sweet kids are. I told you there was nothing to worry about.”
Rylie sat in the chair next to her bed and grabbed her hand. It looked like it had gone to war with all the bruising the I.V. needle caused. “Oh, Del, I’m so happy to hear your voice again. I love you so much!”
“Do I sound like Darth Vader? I’ve always wanted to sound like him. Ryyyllieee, I am your motha!”
Rylie looked at Norm and frowned.
“The doctor said she may feel a bit loopy for a while,” Norm said, with a wink.
Maysen came around the other side of the bed and kissed Del’s cheek. “Hey there, Momma Del. How are you feeling?”
“They took my underwear! I want them back,” Del said, thickly.
“I’m sure you’ll get them back,” Rylie said, patting her hand gently and laughing.
“I better, they were Norm’s favorite pair, rawr!” Del gnashed her teeth together like a tiger and both Maysen and Rylie erupted into laughter.
Norm turned pink and left the room, causing them to laugh even louder. A severe looking nurse walked in with narrowed eyes. “Mrs. Green needs her rest! If you can’t keep it down, I will have to ask you to leave.”
“Who let Nurse Ratchet in here?” Del asked, slurring her words. Unable to keep it in, Rylie and Maysen started their laughter again.
“That’s it! OUT! Go on, get moving. You can come back tomorrow, but I don’t want to see you in here again tonight,” the nurse said, pointing towards the door. “People are trying to rest in here!”
Rylie leaned over and kissed Del’s cheek at the same time Maysen kissed the other, causing them to bump heads. Looking up, Rylie found herself nose to nose with him and lost herself in his eyes for a moment. “Uhm, sleep well, Del. I’ll be back tomorrow, okay?” Rylie tucked her hair behind her ears, glanced at Maysen and then headed out the door.
“Rylie, wait.”
She felt his hand on her arm and jerked it away before turning to face him. “Yeah?”
“Let me take you home, we can come back together tomorrow.”
“No. I can take myself home, thank you,” she said, turning back around and heading down the hall.
“Rylie.”
“I’ll be back tomorrow,” she said stopping to give Norm, who was sitting in one of two chairs near the nurses’ station, a hug. “Maybe we’ll see each other then. I have to go.” Waving she hurried to the elevator bank.
October 11, 2010 ~ Evening
Once she was headed down the freeway, Rylie used the Bluetooth to call Spencer. After the fourth ring, she started to get worried but then he picked up.
“Hello?” He sounded tired and confused.
“Hey, love. It’s me, is everything okay?”
“Mmmm, Yeah.”
“You sound off, are you sure?” she asked again.
“Just trying to get my bearings. I fell asleep reading to Alex. I guess I was sleeping pretty good.”
Rylie looked at the clock on the dash and her heart dropped. It read seven-thirty, which meant it was nine-thirty in New York. “Oh, no. I’m sorry! I didn’t realize it was past Alex’s bedtime. I’ll call you back in the morning. I just wanted to hear your voice.”
“No, no. I’m awake sweetheart. What’s going on?” Spencer’s voice sounded gravelly from sleep, making her heart flutter. She loved his deep voice and hearing the huskiness made it sexier.
“I’m just leaving the hospital. Del’s surgery went well. I got to go in and see her for a little bit before getting kicked out,” she said, with a laugh.
“They kicked you out? Why?”
“Del was still a bit loopy and the drugs had her saying strange things. I guess we were laughing a little too loudly, but I couldn’t help it. It was so good to see her alive. I was so worried, Spence.”
“I know, sweetheart, but it’s going to take more than surgery to take Del out of the picture. She’s a tough old bird.”
“She is. I just hope she realizes how serious this is and stops smoking this time,” Rylie said, taking in a deep breath.
“We just have to do our best to support her and let her know she can lean on us as much as she needs to. She can do it. She just needs to believe she can and right now I don’t think she does.”
“How do you get someone to believe in themselves?”
“I don’t know. I think getting a lot of encouragement and telling her we believe in her might help,” he replied.
“Mmmm,” she murmured, as her thoughts focused on Del and the road ahead. “Maybe it’s time we asked Del and Norm to move to New York. We would have a better chance of offering support and encouragement if they were closer.”
“You know they won’t move to New York, Rye. It’s a nice thought, but New Plymouth is their home,” he said, pausing for a moment and then adding, “of course, visiting them as a family and often might be a good option too.”
“It would be,” she responded, knowing he was right. “It won’t hurt to ask about New York, though.”
Spencer’s deep laugh rolled through the phone. “I love you, Rylie. The eternal optimist, always scheming in that crazy brain of yours.”
They laughed, knowing what Spencer said was true. He stayed on the line until she made it to New Plymouth. She whispered goodbye and allowed him to get back to his slumber.
Rylie had taken a bit of a detour on her way back to the house. Wanting to see some of her past, she drove through the small town in which she grew up. She smiled at the welcome sign proudly announcing the town as, The World’s Largest Horseshoe, referring of course to the shape of the town. The sign had been updated in the years she was gone. As she past by one of the old waterwheels, a memory flashed in her mind. On more than one occasion, Maysen and some of his friends had grabbed hold of one of the wooden blades. It would carry them to the top of the wheel, where they would compete to see who could walk on the top like a hamster the longest. Thinking about it now, it probably wasn’t the smartest thing for them to be doing. It was a miracle they survived childhood.
She drove down Plymouth Avenue, the town’s main street, taking in the tiny community. The second-hand store, where all her clothes came from, now stood empty. The post office moved to the north side of town and she saw it as she first drove through. The convenience store next to it didn’t look familiar. She drove past businesses she remembered, like the trophy shop and the city hall, which shared space with the library.
There were a few businesses that weren’t
there when she left. A rather large building sat across from the old post office and looked like it housed some sort of trucking business. Rylie wondered how long that had been there. It was the largest building in sight and looked a bit out of place in a small country town like this. When she lived here, there were two Mom and Pop grocery stores. The one with a diner in the back had been replaced with a real estate business on one side and a dental office on the other. For reasons she wasn’t sure of, this made her heart sad. She enjoyed going into that store with Del when they went to get groceries. The other store was still standing further down the street, but it was now renamed.
The old bar her mother worked at when she was young still stood. Though it too had a different name and looked a bit rundown. Another bar had cropped up and looked like it was a bit more frequented, probably because it was a bar and grill combo.
The same Sinclair gas station sat on the corner by the high school. Seeing the high school gave her goosebumps. It was a bit surreal to see it now. The original high school had burnt down and the new one was completed was the year she became a freshman. She remembered the excitement of starting the year in a newly built school. It was the most beautiful school she’d ever seen and she couldn’t help but carry a little Pilgrim pride with her down those halls.
As she came to the end of the street, she saw the elementary school. It had some new additions to it as well, but the little baseball diamond whose chain-link fence she used to sit against at recess, stood unchanged. She remembered how she chose that spot to sit at during recess because it was far away from the playgrounds and all the teasing. She could sit in peace and create the magical worlds she wished she could live. She made a U-turn in front of the football field and noticed a middle school had been added down the street. “Hmmm, New Plymouth has grown a little,” she thought to herself.
Deciding she would come back another time, when it was lighter, to see more of the town from her past. She headed back out of town in the direction of the ranch and the Green’s home.
When she arrived at the house, Rylie poured herself a glass of sweet tea and went into the living room. The furniture had been updated, but otherwise it still looked like the same room. There were two recliners sitting directly in front of the television and a sofa sleeper pushed against the north wall. Opposite the sofa, was a beautiful book case Norm made in high school. It was filled with books, like Grimm’s Fairytales, Bible stories, encyclopedia’s and many more. A brown with a cover and gold letters caught her attention and she bent down to read the title. Little Women. It was the book Maysen gave her when they were young. She kept it in the pink trailer until she moved in with Del and Norm. She’d forgotten she’d brought it with her.
Sitting Indian-legged on the couch, she opened the book and smelled the pages. You could smell the difference between an old book and a new one. Rylie loved the smell of both, but an old book had collected more scents from its readers over the years. Plus, they had the added layers of dust on the top of the pages. She flipped to the first chapter and began to read, “Christmas won’t be Christmas without any presents,” grumbled Jo…
A knock echoed through the kitchen and into the living room. Rylie looked up and frowned. Surely everyone knew about Del’s surgery. Who would be coming for a visit this late in the evening? Another knock sent Rylie to answer the door. She opened the worn wooden door to find Maysen smiling from behind the screen.
“What are you doing here?” she asked, her voice a little higher than she meant for it to be.
Maysen hesitated, opening his mouth and shutting it again. “I’m sorry. I thought you might want something to eat,” he said, holding up a pizza box. “I realize now, I am way out of line. I’m sorry Riley. Forgive me, I’ll go.” He turned and headed back down the sidewalk towards the gate.
Rylie exhaled. As irritated as she was that he showed up uninvited, she couldn’t rid her feelings of guilt. “Maysen, wait,” she said, opening the screen door and stepping outside.
Maysen stopped, his back to her and said, “I can’t believe how pushy I’m being.” He turned to face her, his face a bit crestfallen and said, “I think I was acting off the high of talking to you again. I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable.”
“No, it’s okay. I didn’t mean to act like you were unwelcome. You just surprised me.” An uncomfortable silence blanketed them as they stood there staring at each other. Rylie wasn’t sure what she should do, but she knew she couldn’t be rude. Taking a deep breath and exhaling, she waved toward the door. “Come in.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yeah, come on. I am a little hungry.” The wonderful, greasy aroma of the pizza hit her stomach and made it growl, as she held the door open for him and he walked into the house. “Half pepperoni with jalapenos and half pepperoni with sausage?” she asked, remembering how they used to split their pizzas.
Maysen set the pizza box on the kitchen table and opened the box. “With white sauce,” he said smiling. “I wondered if you still liked your pizza the same way.”
“I do. Though lately we’ve been enjoying pizza cones from a food truck in New York. Have you had those?”
“Pizza cones? No. I’m not sure I’d want to either.” Maysen said, wrinkles appearing on his forehead.
Rylie laughed as she opened the cupboard that had held Del’s plates. “Pizza cones are bomb,” she said, opening another cupboard and snooping inside. “She still refuses to buy paper plates, so glass dinner plates it is.” She handed Maysen a plate and sat in the chair across the table from him. She grabbed a slice from the peperoni and jalapeno side and took a bite. “Mmmm, so good! Is this from Kim’s parlor?”
“No, they sold the place several years back. A new family owns it now.”
Rylie nodded as she took another bite. “Well, it’s good. Thank you.
“Anytime. Rylie, I am sorry for arrogantly coming over here like this. I know it was dumb to think we could so easily be friends after all this time.”
“It just shocked me, with all the history, you know,” she said, shrugging.
“I know.”
“Oh!” Rylie exclaimed, swallowing the bite she had in her mouth. “I drove through town tonight. It’s changed so much.”
“It has, but it’s got the same small country town feel it had back when we were young.”
“It’s kept its country charm for sure. When did the grocery store and restaurant close? It made me sad to see that.”
“It’s been so far back. I can’t remember now. We have a bar and grill though, so you can still get home cooked meals in town.”
“I saw that. It’s not the same.”
“Things change, Rylie. You can’t expect time to freeze until you come back,” Maysen said, grabbing another slice.
“I know. I didn’t expect it to. It just creates an odd feeling seeing it is all.”
“I bet. A little like the Twilight Zone?” he asked
She nodded and asked, “You want some tea?” She went to the cupboard and pulled out a glass.
“Please,” he answered.
“I’m going to grab my glass from the living room,” she said, setting the glass on the counter.
Grabbing her glass from the coffee table that sat in front of the sofa, she remembered Little Women balanced on the arm. Grabbing it, she headed back to the kitchen.
Maysen was extracting ice cubes from the ice tray when she walked back in. “I remember my way around Del’s kitchen too,” he said, with a sheepish grin.
“Well, good. You can add a few cubes to my glass too,” she said, holding out her glass.
He plopped some cubes into both glasses and then retrieved the tea jug from the fridge. “Thanks, Rylie,” he said, returning to his chair.
“I just got you a glass, you did the rest,” she replied, with a smile.
“Nah, I mean for sitting with me to eat dinner. I eat alone most nights. It’s nice to have company.”
“What about your parents?” she asked, frowning
.
“Oh, they invite me over, of course. I just don’t like taking advantage of my situation. Mom doesn’t need to cook me dinner. I’m a grown man. She’s done her time in the kitchen and deserves a more relaxed retirement. I try to keep my dinner visits down to once a week, unless I need to go over something concerning the ranch with dad.”
“Still the gallant boy, I see,” she said smiling. “Look at what I found earlier.” She set the book on the table and pushed it his way.
Maysen set his tea down and reached for the book, laughing as he saw what it was. “I remember this. Where did you find it?” he asked, fanning through the pages.
“Norm and Del had it in their bookcase. I’d forgotten I brought it here when I moved in.”
Maysen let out a small laugh, but his face looked a bit sad as he scanned the pages. “Crazy how time changes everything,” he said, handing the book back to her.
Rylie pressed her lips together and smiled as she grabbed the book. Her fingers brushed his hand and she felt an electric heat buzz inside her fingertips. Ignoring the feeling that rushed through her, she laid the book on the table and grabbed another slice of pizza. “Too bad we all have to grow up, huh?”
Maysen’s eyes met hers and he gave her a sad nod, but didn’t answer. They grew quiet as they ate.
“What are you thinking about?” she asked, wishing she could read his thoughts.
“I miss being a kid. I wish there was a way to freeze time, you know? I didn’t realize how much of it I missed. Probably because I never think about it. You can’t miss what you don’t think about.” Maysen wiped his mouth and stood up, taking his dishes to the sink.
“Are you leaving?” she asked, surprised at the dejected feeling that rushed through her.